In the two years since it opened its doors, Precise Monitoring has created a unique niche, expanded into a growing market and has begun to focus on a new area in drug and alcohol testing.
The company, based in Thornton, provides drug and alcohol testing for Colorado courts, private employers and the Department of Transportation.
The judicial side is the biggest segment of the business, says founder Priscilla Castorena. Testing is often mandatory as part of a sentence. Clients might be required to be tested weekly or even more frequently.
Private employers as well as companies regulated by the Department of Transportation might require testing as a condition of employment or for cause.
What sets Precise Monitoring apart from other testing agencies is its focus on customer service, and a big part of that is its unusual office hours. While most testing services are only open until 5 p.m., Precise Monitoring is open from noon to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Castorena, who worked in county probation departments for several years, says that is to the company’s success.
“Throughout my years in probation, we noticed that people were unable to comply, not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t,” she says. “Getting to an agency by 5 p.m. is really hard, especially if you have to do that a couple of times a week. You have to explain to your boss that you have to leave early and hope they understand. I wanted to remove that obstacle and also allow employers to take advantage of our hours.”
Another factor in the company’s success: its prices are half the cost of medical facilities and it can produce results in half the time.
Castorena is surprised by the growing number of people who come to the company voluntarily to be tested, often while looking for a job. She also didn’t expect parents who bring in their children. “They come in with questions wondering if we can help them. Sometimes they don’t know where to turn. People want to know more than I anticipated.”
Whoever the client, however, Castorena credits the growth of the business with “our great customer service. Our facility is great. We greet our clients by name. We don’t herd them in. That’s a good experience for people. There’s a real comfort level here.”
